This is a pretty cool redfish fly tied by Trident Fly Fishing.
Materials list:
Gamakatsu B10S – Size 1
UNI 8/0 Thread
Heavy Dumbbell Eyes – Black – 5/32
Crystal Flash
Hareline Arctic Fox – Black
Hareline Zonker Strips – Black
Hareline Estaz – Black
Weed Guard – Hard Mono 20-30lb
Comments Off on The Batman
Filed under Saltwater
While fly fishing in my home waters in the rivers and streams of the Pennsylvania Blue Mountains, it doesn’t take long to notice the ever present Black Nose Dace in the shallows, under overhanging banks and numerous in just about every deep pool. While fishing the traditional black nose dace streamer I caught some of these minnows in a net to study it’s characteristics and colors in bright sunlight. Some have a deep pearl flash on the scales. I set out to tie a dace pattern that would more closely match this natural minnow that is plentiful just about everywhere that you find trout. Thus the Blue Mountain Dace. With its raccoon ring tail cut straight, black bear, white and brown deer fur under a mallard tied flat in the Maine flatwing streamer tradition. This fly has become the most productive streamer that I use. A good searching pattern, it draws larger trout out of their hiding places to give chase. The pearl mirage tinsel is colorful in sunlight and has the right amount of attraction to catch even the more finicky wild brown trout. I tie this streamer with a wider body and more fur for the high water in springtime and sparse for the lower clear water of mid summer and winter. The eyes are optional and add an extra hot spot to this minnow replica. I like to tie a strip of lead straight under the hook shank to get the fly down quickly to the trouts feeding zone and also to assure that the streamer swims upright in the water. The mallard tied flat gives it natural darting and bobbing action in the current. This traditional style fly has been fished all over North America including the Rockies, New England and Maine and has taken rainbow and brook trout in British Columbia.
-Fred Klein
You can follow Fred’s tying on Instagram @grizzlykingfly.
Also do yourself a favor and check out Fred’s classic fly gallery on his website:
https://www.grizzlykingfly.com/classic-fly-gallery
Dressing:
Hook: Partridge Heritage Streamer size 8 – 9x long
Thread: Body olive, head black 8/0
Tag: Silver Tinsel
Body: Pearl Mirage
Ribbing Gold flat tinsel
Tail: Raccoon tail black ring fur, trimmed straight
Belly: White bucktail
Wing: Mallard Flank flatwing, over brown bucktail, over black bear
Eyes painted with carrot and black acrylic (optional)
Comments Off on Blue Mountain Dace Streamer by Fred Klein
Filed under Streamers
The Greater Cincinnati Fly Fishing Show is this coming Saturday, February 1st, from 9am to 4pm in Loveland, Ohio. The address is at the link. The show is hosted by the Buckeye United Fly Fishers and it is always a very nice show. It is one of the best shows around, so be sure to check it out!
I will be there tying on tyers row. Just look for the FrankenFly banner and come by and say hey.
Comments Off on Great Cincinnati Fly Fishing Show 2020 this weekend!
Filed under Fly fishing show
John Noble
Recently I noticed a post by Svend Diesel where he was posting about his vise setup, primarily the base. This base was beautifully painted in brook trout colors! So I immediately shot Svend a text and he informed me the work was done by artist John Noble. So I checked out John’s Instagram and realized I had seen his work before, but did not realize it was his work. The artistry he does on fly fishing equipment is immaculate. So I asked John if he would be interested in doing an interview and he agreed. I hope you enjoy!
-Paul
What is your background in art?
Basically since childhood I have been into drawing wildlife. I was placed in college credit art classes from the time I was a freshman in high school. Moved on to doing old western portraits of old cowboys and native Americans, I still love those. In the summer’s during college I worked for a relative that owned several collision shops and fell in love with automotive paint. That led to my first airbrush purchase in 2010.
How did you get started in fly fishing?
We grew up fishing, and one summer when I was 9, headed up to baseball camp in Colorado we went on a guided fly fishing trip. It was game over from that day! We became fly fishing everything! We bought video tapes, books, anything we could get our hands on to learn more about it. Info back then was alot tougher!
What made you combine the two?
After getting my first airbrush, basically making mess in the garage more than anything. I painted a piece of exhaust pipe like a German Brown. That was my favorite fish and I was toying with the idea of making fish sculptures. I sent a picture to my best friend Aaron, and he said “dude, do rod tubes!” That was 2010ish, and I started doing fly rod tubes, selling them on Ebay for a ridiculously low price. I was happy to sell anything because it meant I could buy better paints and products.
What kind of things in fly fishing do you paint?
Fly rod tubes, cigar tubes, wall art, skateboards, tumblers, mugs, vises, or anything if someone is willing to pay for it!
Can you tell us more about the process you use?
It’s pretty much the same for most products. I spray a sealer, then paint, clear coat and then I have to sand, buff and polish the clear coat. When I do paintings I do two rounds of clear coat. Lots of time and incredibly expensive products. I hand paint every item that I sell! No two items are the same, I’ve painted well over a thousand cups and painted every dot on every cup! So if you buy something from me, it’s yours, NOBODY has that exact same thing!
What is the most challenging item you have worked on?
That’s a tough one! It’s usually the smaller the item like a vise or something like that, the tougher it is. I have to go slower and they take more time.
Of all of the stuff you have worked on do you have any that are your favorites? Anything you are extremely proud of or came out better than expected?
I think as of now my favorite was a three skateboard panel painting of a Smallmouth. I used alot of wild complimentary colors. After it was done I couldn’t believe I actually did it. Mike Schultz of Schultz Outfitters bought it for his office. Everything I paint is a favorite though, or I would not sell it!
Can you tell us about the CE Technologies Vise base that you painted for Svend Diesel? Did you have to do anything different when you worked on it?
The CE technologies vise for Svend we worked out a trade on. That thing turned out killer! I do not prefer to paint vises, they take alot of time, lots of intricate tape and masking and really, kind of a pain! I like Svend though, I love his fly tying competitions and the character and enthusiasm he brings to fly tying as well as the fly fishing community! The CE Technologies base and tool caddy were some seriously nice hardware! Very impressive!
Where can people go if they are interested in you painting something for them?
Easy, they can go to Scalydesigns.com or visit my Instagram page @scalydesigns for lots of pictures. Send an email or message on Instagram, I love questions or comments! Thanks for taking the time to read this!!
From Svend Diesel:
“It is a combination of many patterns I have tied and tested over the years and finally love the way this one fishes and is tied. There is nothing new about some of the things I have done with this Crayfish that make it different than others besides the 3 cones of hackle to create the head and minimize the arm fouling. Along with using the tab legs to create a shell, which isnt new, but using the mono to not cut the tab legs and covering in a good resin makes this fly bullet proof to last many many fish piercings.
I cover the eye in UV resin because I am usually stripping and jigging this in through the rocks or shallows on a floating line. It can be simply dropped and jigged, the weight will place it in a defensive position and the arms being made of rabbit will naturally trap air causing them to rise making it vulnerable to any fish looking for a snack.
It is more time consuming than other Crayfish patterns I have fished, but this is way more effective and way more durable than others I have tied while also minimizing materials needed. I love this Black/Orange Magnum Rabbit strip color and also fish them in dark olives can crayfish orange.”
Materials list:
Hook: #Ahrexhooks TP650 26 degree hook
Thread: #Semperfli waxed thread 8/0
Hackle: #Whitingfarms American Hackle Rooster Orange grizzly
Large Antenna: #harelinedubbin Grizzly legs
Antennule/Legs: Voodoo Fibers
Claws/Body: Rabbit strips
Shell/Tail fin: Tab rubber legs
Ribbing of Abdomen: 20-30 lb mono
Shell: #Semperfli no tack uv resin
I’ve tried many bobbins out there for many years and some would be ok, some were downright awful, and some I would use for awhile. For the last couple of years I’ve used mainly the Loon Ergo Bobbin. Which was another bobbin I was just ok with. It was too long, the feet were not very adjustable, which meant thread control was not very good. The one thing I did like about it was the feel. I could place my thumb in the groove and wrap my pointer finger around the rest of the bobbin. I don’t work well with the small thin bobbins. The Ergo Bobbin to me was comfortable in hand and not just some frail little thing. But as I mentioned, it had other problems. This year they improved the Ergo Bobbin, but it has been overshadowed already in my opinion. See below.
This year, Loon released their Ergo All Purpose Bobbin. Just by the look of it, I could tell it just may be what I was looking for, so I ordered one. When it came in the mail, my eyes lit up as I tore open the package like it was Christmas day! It was like a Red Rider BB Gun…ok, not really, just kidding, let’s get back to the review. Anyway, I brought it into the tying room and began to spool it up. This new bobbin was 4.25″ long, which is much shorter than the old Ergo Bobbin, which was good. However, it does have a little more length than standard bobbins. With the extra length, you might notice you need a longer bobbin threader, well, the Loon Ergo Bobbin Threader works perfectly. The arms on this new bobbin were much better quality and easily adjustable and they have brass feet. As I began tying, I knew right away that Loon had hit it out of the park. This new bobbin has such a great feel, plus good thread control, and was not long and awkward.
The tube is made of double radius polished tungsten and works well. I tie a lot of streamers, but also tie some smaller carp bugs and bluegill flies. I have used 140 denier and 70 denier thread and the bobbin works well for both. Loon mentions that this is an all purpose bobbin and I can see where that is true. You can use it for large and small flies. I have been using it for well over a month now and have already bought three more. So if you are looking for a new bobbin, check this one out and see if you are as happy with it as I am. I highly recommend it!
Comments Off on Loon Outdoors Ergo All Purpose Bobbin
Filed under New Product, Product Review, Tools
This fly tying video is from AvidMax. This is fly designed by Landon Mayer.
From AvidMax:
“In this week’s episode of Tying Tuesdays, watch as Brady ties the Mayers Mini Leech!
Created by Landon Mayer, (Colorado guide and royalty tyer for Umpqua Feather Merchants) the Mayers Mini Leech is a must-have pattern. This fly is a micro leech imitation that is a great attractor in certain color variations, while also being a super life like leech imitation in black or brown.
The version tied in this video is the original lightweight pattern. Umpqua now offers a Jig option for those fishing euro style or who maybe just prefer a weighted option. There isn’t really a wrong way to fish this fly. Tie it on and give a big fish a chance to hammer it.”
Materials list:
Hook- Daiichi 1130
Ribbing- Small Gold Wire
Body-Mylar Tinsel
Zonker – Micro Pine Squirrel Rust
Head- Brown Ostrich Herl
On a side note, my friends John and Katie Demuth recently met Landon Mayer at a fly fishing show in Colorado and they put their own spin on Mayer’s Mini Leech. They added some weight to the pattern and used a jig hook. Keep in mind, this is a small fly.
Comments Off on Mayer’s Mini Leech
Filed under Streamers
Gunnar’s Super Jerk tied by Brian Wise of Fly Fishing the Ozarks.
Materials list:
Rear Hook – Gamakatsu B10s 1/0
Tail – Bucktail
Body – EP Craft Fur Brush
Wing – Craft Fur .
Front Hook – Gamakatsu B10s 2/0
Body – EP Craft Fur Brush & EP Sparkle Brush
Wing – Craft Fur
Head – Laser Dub
Eyes – Dead Meat Customs
Comments Off on Gunnary Brammer’s Super Jerk
Filed under Streamers
